Have no link with Dawood, claims drug racket kingpin

Delhi-based international synthetic drug racket kingpin Dev Behl, who was recently arrested by Punjab police, said on Thursday that he had no link with Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees.

Behl, who was presented in a local court here, said the Punjab police had concocted stories about him and wanted to implicate him in false cases.

The Punjab police had recently claimed that Behl was an associate of Dawood and his brother Anees in gold smuggling from 1983 to 1988 but due to differences with Anees and the declining profits, Behl had quit the venture and started dealing in second-hand cars.

Behl said the Punjab police should prove his link to Dawood and Anees. Behl alleged that the Punjab police tortured him in custody.

After expiry of the police remand on Thursday, Behl and associates Rakesh Tinku and Behl's driver Mohinder Singh were presented in the court.

The prosecution sought their police remand on the plea that the police wanted to make recovery from them in Mumbai but the defence counsel opposed it. After hearing both the sides, the judge remanded them in judicial custody till December 21.